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Mrs. Doubtfire
Mrs. Doubtfire is a 1993 American comedy-drama film, directed by Chris Columbus and written for the screen by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, based on the novel Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. It stars Robin Williams (who also served as a co-producer), Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, and Robert Prosky. It follows a recently divorced actor who dresses up as a female housekeeper to be able to interact with his children. The film addresses themes of divorce, separation, and the effect they have on a family. The film was released in the United States on November 24, 1993.2 It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup3 and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Robin Williams was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Actor. It grossed $441.3 million on a $25 million budget, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 1993 worldwide. Though the film received mixed reviews during its original theatrical run, more recent reviews have been much more positive: the film placed 67th in the American Film Institute's "AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs" list and 40th on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies of All Time." The original music score was composed by Howard Shore. Plot Although Daniel Hillard, a freelance voice actor, is a devoted father to his three children, Lydia, Chris, and Natalie, his wife Miranda considers him unreliable. Daniel quits his job after a disagreement over a questionable script and returns home to throw an expensive birthday party for Chris despite Miranda's objections. This proves to be the final straw for Miranda, who files for divorce. The court grants sole custody of the children to Miranda; shared custody is contingent on whether Daniel finds a steady job and a suitable residence within three months. As Daniel works to rebuild his life, he learns that Miranda is seeking a housekeeper. He secretly alters her classified ad form, effectively barring any communication between Miranda and potential candidates for the position. Utilizing his voice acting skills, he calls Miranda while posing as a series of undesirable applicants. He finally calls Miranda as a Scottish-accented nanny, whom he names Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire, with strong credentials. Miranda is impressed and invites her for an interview. Daniel asks his brother Frank, a makeup artist, and Frank's partner, Jack, to create a Mrs. Doubtfire costume, including a prosthetic mask to make him appear as an older woman. Miranda hires Mrs. Doubtfire after a successful interview. The children initially struggle under Mrs. Doubtfire's authority but soon come around and thrive, and further, Miranda learns to become closer with her children. Daniel, as Mrs. Doubtfire, learns several household skills as part of the role, further improving himself. However, this creates another barrier for Daniel to see his children, as Miranda has put more trust into Mrs. Doubtfire than him, and she cannot bring herself to dismiss her. One night, Lydia and Chris discover Daniel is Mrs. Doubtfire and, thrilled to have their father back, agree to keep his secret. While working at the station, Daniel is seen by the station's CEO Jonathan Lundy playing with toy dinosaurs on the set of a cancelled children's show. Impressed by his voice acting and imagination, Lundy invites Daniel for a dinner to discuss giving him his own children's show to host. Daniel discovers this is to be on the same place and time as a planned birthday dinner for Miranda by her new boyfriend Stuart Dunmeyer, to which Mrs. Doubtfire is expected to attend. Unable to change either appointment, Daniel changes in and out of the Mrs. Doubtfire costume to attend both events. Daniel eventually becomes drunk and slips up after changing in and out of costume. When returning to Lundy in his costume, he quickly claims that "Mrs. Doubtfire" is his idea for the show. Daniel overhears that Stu is allergic to pepper and seasons Stu's order of jambalayawith powdered cayenne pepper. Stu chokes on his dinner, and Daniel, feeling guilty, gives him the Heimlich maneuver as Mrs. Doubtfire. The action causes the prosthetic mask to partially peel off Daniel's face, revealing his identity and horrifying Miranda. At their next custody hearing, Daniel points out that he has met the judge's requirements, then explains his actions. The judge, while sympathetic to Daniel, is disturbed by his ploy and grants Miranda full custody; Daniel is restricted to supervised Saturday visitation rights. Without Mrs. Doubtfire, Miranda and her children become miserable, acknowledging how much Mrs. Doubtfire improved their lives. They are surprised when the local station starts a new children's show Euphegenia's House which Daniel, as Mrs. Doubtfire, hosts. The show becomes a hit and starts airing across the country. Miranda visits Daniel on set, admitting that things were better when he was involved, and agrees to change the custody arrangement. Soon after, she and Daniel share joint custody, allowing Daniel to take the children after school, an arrangement he had requested when Miranda told him she was going to hire a housekeeper. As Daniel takes the kids out, Miranda watches an episode of Euphegenia's House where Mrs. Doubtfire answers a letter from a young girl whose parents have separated, saying that love makes a family a family, no matter the distance between its members. Cast * Robin Williams as Daniel Hillard/Euphegenia Doubtfire * Sally Field as Miranda Hillard * Pierce Brosnan as Stuart "Stu" Dunmeyer * Harvey Fierstein as Frank Hillard * Polly Holliday as Gloria Cheney * Lisa Jakub as Lydia Hillard * Matthew Lawrence as Chris Hillard * Mara Wilson as Natalie Hillard * Robert Prosky as Mr. Jonathan Lundy * Anne Haney as Mrs. Sellner * Scott Capurro as Jack * Sydney Walker as Bus Driver * Martin Mull as Justin Gregory * Terence McGovern as ADR Director Lou * William Newman as Mr. Sprinkles * Scott Beach as Judge